A Matter of Influence
by owlwayssandforever
Summary: Harry and Ron attend a muggle basketball game for the first time.


**House:** _Ravenclaw_ | **Year:** _1_ | **Category:** _Drabble_ | **Prompt:** _[Action] Attending a muggle basketball game as a witch/wizard_ | **Word Count:** _926_

**A/N:**_ Hahahaha can you tell I love basketball? So happy for this prompt and I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!_

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Harry didn't know much about basketball. Games were on TV occasionally, especially championships, but it was always late at night. Sometimes he would get home late from work, mind buzzing, and he'd watch whatever game happened to be on, inevitably falling asleep on the couch. But he learned a few things. He'd heard a lot about Emeka Okafor, who would likely lead Connecticut to another national title. Then there was North Carolina's new head coach, Roy Williams, and whether he would be able to lead his team to a winning record. But most of the buzz was around two players from Duke University - junior JJ Redick, a love-or-hate-him kinda guy, and a kid named Luol Deng. Harry found Deng's story fascinating - his family had fled South Sudan for Egypt and eventually London before his family sent him to New Jersey to pursue basketball. Now, he was playing for one of the best coaches in the world. Harry couldn't help but root for Duke because of Deng, and when January rolled around, he began sniffing around to see if there was some way he could see Deng play in person.

Generally, Harry shunned his celebrity status. Over the years, he'd become skilled at avoiding photographers, giving crack interviews that were unusable (except to Rita Skeeter, who would publish anything), and trying to live a normal life. But Harry knew that his war efforts afforded him certain privileges, and he wasn't above using them to get the occasional thing he wanted (including a fancy flying car for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley). So he didn't feel at all bad approaching Kingsley to see if he could get tickets to a Duke game. Kingsley didn't mind in the slightest - he never did - and said he would reach out to the Muggle Prime Minister. Harry had almost forgotten about it in the weeks that passed, until Kingsley approached him late one night, holding out two shining paper tickets marked "Duke v UNC, March 6, 2004. VIP".

Harry had grinned excitedly and hugged Kingsley, before apparating directly to Ron's apartment. He probably should have asked Ginny to accompany him, but Ron would never forgive him, and besides, he missed spending time with his best friend. It took them some time to make it to the United States, where Kingsley arranged for Harry to be escorted to the game by MACUSA staff under the pretense of being an Olympic footballer. It was beautiful in North Carolina, in a very different way to the English countryside - more forests, trees and mountains, not rolling hills and waving wheat fields.

They arrived at Cameron Indoor Stadium and were granted access to meet Coach K and have an informal chat with the team. Harry thought he was going to pass out from excitement when he spoke to Deng.

Before long, they were ushered to their seats, sitting right next to Duke's bench. Harry watched in delight and Ron in fascination as the players warmed up mere inches from them. The crowd around them was absolutely _bonkers_, even crazier than the Quidditch World Cup, chanting taunts and dancing to songs that blared through the speakers. He knew this game was unique, often called the best rivalry in sports. The stakes were high and blood would be boiling from the start. When Coach K finally took his place on the court, the masses of students began bowing down to him, and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Think I could've gotten everyone to do that for me sixth year?" Ron asked jovially, and perhaps a bit enviously. "I was King after all…"

"Don't push your luck, mate," Harry teased, elbowing his friend in the ribs.

The buzzer sounded and the teams lined up to welcome the starters, applauded with a fanfare of cheers. Harry was pleased to see that both Deng and Redick would be starting, and excitement began to bubble in his stomach. The game tipped off, and Harry and Ron both leaned forward, completely transfixed.

There was something very different about basketball, which Harry was only realizing as the game unfolded around him. Inherently physical in a way that quidditch was not, the players seemed to throw their bodies into the game with reckless abandon. He watched as Redick launched himself into the air for a basket, falling hard on the ground before getting up and shaking it all off, unfazed. How he didn't end each game in searing agony, Harry couldn't understand. And then there was Deng, colliding with person after person as they tried to stop him from reaching the basket to no avail. Harry could feel every foul, every fall, vibrate along the court and into his bones.

"Merlin's pants, this is exciting!" Ron beamed, his eyes tracking the players down the court.

He was right, basketball was exhilarating. That everything might come down to one ball, to making one basket, was completely thrilling. Duke snatched a victory, and Redick celebrated sinking the final baskets of the game, while Deng grinned with excitement as his teammates hugged each other.

Harry and Ron filed out of the stadium with everyone else, allowing themselves to be swept along in the tide of students heading for a quad so familiar, it might have been at Hogwarts. There, standing in the middle of the grass, were two enormous wooden benches, set on fire as students cheered around them. Sparks flew into the sky, and Ron and Harry looked at each other with huge grins.

Harry would definitely be using his connections to come back.


End file.
